Seattle Center Master Plan

5:25 am

Tue March 1, 2011

Improvements planned for Seattle Center Food Court

The Seattle Center Food Court, inside the Center House, February 28, 2011. It will close close July 1st for demolition. New food services are to be in place in time for the anniversary celebrations of the 1962 World's Fair.

Information workers answer questions at a booth that's open during school hours. The Center School meets upstairs, a Childrens' museum and theater are in the basement. The famous Bubbleator was beyond this booth; now the orginal is in Burien.

Bellamy PailthorpKPLU

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It looks like the Seattle Center Food Court will soon be run by a concessionaire that has current contracts with Woodland Park Zoo and Point Defiance Zoo.

The Seattle Center has announced a letter-of-intent with Lancer Hospitality.

The space was built originally as an armory, completed in 1939. Located at the base of the Space Needle, it was famous in the 1970s for the Bubbleator amusement ride (now in Burien) and for at that time newfangled food attractions, such as Orange Julius smoothies.

Statement from Mayor McGinn's Office

According to the Seattle Center and the office of the Seattle Mayor, the food court will close later this year (July 1st) so that so that the rebuild and food service installation can be completed for the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World's Fair six-month celebration, April 21 - Oct. 21, 2012.

She says the center's timeline will take into account the needs of pupils at the Center School upstairs from the food court as well as the lease agreements with concessionaires currently in the center house space. They are all currently on month-to-month leases, according to Daoust.

Seattle Center chose Lancer Hospitality as the preferred provider following a request for proposals process launched last year. The new partnership lays a foundation for an updated food court area featuring a wide range of eating options, including full service restaurants and healthy and eclectic food choices.

Seattle Center director Robert Nellums says in a prepared statement:

"We are thrilled to be moving forward on much needed improvements to the food court area in time for The Next Fifty celebration in 2012. I am impressed by Lancer Hospitality's approach, and I look forward to working with our new partner to provide an outstanding dining experience in this grand and historic building."